Found from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela and Jamaica as a medium to large sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte in foothill forests, at elevations of 800 to 1500 meters with cylindric, unifoliate, laterally compressed pseudobulbs enveloped by tubular, scarious bracts, with lanceolate to strap-shaped, lightly falcate leaves that blooms in the late winter through spring on a terminal, 16" [40 cm] long, racemose inflorescence arising on a newly maturing pseudobulb subtended by a spatheceous bract and carrying many spiralling flowers.

This species should be grown like a cool Cattleya with ample light and water.